Ashes to Ashes

Prologue

Screams bounced off the cream colored walls of the neatly decorated room. Picture frames hung loosely and rattled every time she hit the wall from frustration the pain was causing her.

"Luna," A woman in white said gently. "I need you to breathe or this is going to be a lot more difficult than it needs to be." The woman was stern, she knew what she was talking about, being a midwife for almost five years, after following in her mother's footsteps made for a very well adjusted and confident she-wolf. If anyone was going to help her through this, Luna wanted it to be this woman, her best friend.

"Breathing makes it worse," She hissed back, no tears but definitely not an absence of attitude. The midwife rolled her eyes, a sign of disrespect from anyone else but she knew her place.

"Abigail, she knows what she's doing," A man beside her said. He used her full name and in this moment she wished he didn't know her so well but she complied nonetheless, he was right. She hated when he was right.

"Ok Luna, on the count of three I want you to push gently, not too hard, use your abdominal muscles to ease the push just like we practiced." Abigail tried, she tried hard but everytime she tensed for the push the shooting pain intensified. "Something isn't right," The midwife muttered. But the man beside her heard and snapped his head in her direction.

"What do you mean 'isn't right'", he growled lowly making her cower slightly. She huffed and looked at him trying to control her own emotions so she could help her friend.

"Labour pains are normal, especially while pushing but she can't even get there without screaming, I haven't even seen the crown of the baby's head yet," She tried to speak quietly as not to spook the awaiting mother but Luna heard anyways.

"What do you mean you can't see her head?" She all but screamed making everyone in the room flinch. The man gently laid his hand on hers, trying to calm her but to no avail. "What is happening to my baby," She gritted through her teeth, deadly enunciating every word.

"Luna," She started, her eyes brimming red. "The baby isn't moving forward," She explained carefully. Luna's heart stopped for a split second, her breathing becoming shallow. "This could mean nothing, she might just be twisted in the umbilical cord which will mean I need to bring her forward," She looked up quickly to the man, "With your permission sir," He nodded stiffly. Luna was already dilated ten centimeters, with a little pressure she could easily reach in with her dainty fingers and feel for the baby.

In a split second her eyes held triumph, she found her, but then quickly furrowed in concern. Before Luna or her husband realized things were suddenly being shouted across the room, tools were being passed around and suddenly the atmosphere changed. It was tense.

Luna suddenly screamed as the baby was being turned around to properly exit her mother's womb. "Push!" The midwife yelled. Usually things like that didn't go over well, disrespect was never tolerated but at this moment timing was crucial and she would deal with the consequences later.

Push after push Abigail screamed, fighting the urge to stop. She wouldn't rest until her baby girl was in her arms, that she was sure of. What felt like hours later the pain ceased slightly leaving a prominent ache behind but the room was quiet. Too quiet, suddenly the room felt mournful and Abigail let out a heart wrenching scream.

"My baby!" Two gammas came and gently pushed her down unto the bed to ease the thrashing. "No, Emily fix it, help her!" Emily held the baby with tears rolling down her cheeks.

There was no crying, no movement. The only sound in the suddenly hollow room was Luna's pleading screams. Moments passed until Luna was weeping silently while her husband encased her in his arms and cried with her.

"Let me hold her," At first no one moved. It didn't seem like a good idea, only adding to the pain until she muttered a soft 'please'. Emily tentatively moved to Abigail's side, lightly setting the pink blanket into her arms. A violent sob racked through her body as she lightly touched the soft bald head of the baby in her arms.

"No," She whispered, hugging the girl into her tighter. Soon she was muttering under her breath, silent prayers to the moon goddess to bring her daughter back to her. Only yesterday was she kicking in her stomach excitedly, how had everything gone so wrong so fast?

A silent tear fell onto the baby's cheek as her mother continued to rock her and pray. Then it happened so fast, the light that emanated from the windows was blinding and white. The room grew hot and then as quick as it came it was gone. Abigail's cries stopped as she looked wide eyed at her husband and it was quiet enough she could hear everyone's hearts beating wildly with confusion and fear. Until the wailing started.

Luna looked down so fast her neck cramped but she couldn't care less, her baby girl was crying in her arms. Her smile could have melted glaciers with the warmth it radiated and she laughed gleefully while her husband began peppering kisses all over her face. At this moment she didn't care that her baby was still cold and pale, not even a blush from the crying gracing her cheeks, not even tears. Soon her eyes opened and the crystal orbs staring at her mothers were anything but ordinary. Almost clear eyes that contrasted the brown of both her parents and a urethral presence behind them.

Abigail's momentary shock was short lived as she sent up prayers of thanks to the moon. The goddess had saved her child, she set the course in motion, the rising wasn't far behind as it rested on the shoulders of the infant. The moon had plans, and they wouldn't falter, not again. 

Alright, this is where our story starts and it going to get GOOD. The prologue was pretty short but the chapters will get longer. I'm updating once a week, most likely on a Friday so stay tuned!